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Friday, 1 March 2013

The Friday Interview: Martin Archer

Described as "articulate and resourceful" (WIRE) and "a menacing intelligence" (NME), composer, performer and record label owner Martin Archer is constantly pushing his music forward, and leaving no stone unturned as he does it.

His group "Blue Meat, Black Diesel & Engine Room Favourites" has been chosen as part of Jazz North's Northern Line scheme, and his 40-piece experimental choir Juxtavoices performs across the country. He is currently working alongside drummer and composer Peter Fairclough to write a new album of material for long-time collaborator Julie Tippetts.

Your group was one of 12 selected to
be part of Jazz North's Northern Line scheme. Tell me about the group
and your plans for it.

I work in a lot of different music
contexts, and for years now I've planned to make a group which puts my
own sax playing back in the centre. It's what I started out with and
it's an aspect I've neglected to follow through over the years. The
AACM style always appealed to me, and it happened that I realised I was
getting to know a number of musicians who would fit in with that style -
that is, the ability to play with complete freedom but also retain a
blues r&b feel to their improvisations. The idea began when I did a
gig with just me and the four percussionists. After that I
decided to formalise and record a piece based on the music for that
gig, but with a larger sound palette. Being able to include Laura Cole,
Graham Clark and Corey Mwamba was the key to this, and I'm pleased they wanted to do
it.

It will be hard to get work for a 10 piece band, so the
Northern Line
assistance will be very helpful. I'd like us to do a small number of
good quality gigs, and then make another record I think.

What does 2013 hold in store for you?

Lots of gigs and CD release with
Juxtavoices. A fourth album with Julie Tippetts.
More recording with my 2 rock bands, Orchestra of the Upper Atmosphere
and (Minnesota based prog-metal band) Combat Astronomy. More
electronic music in collaboration with Herve Perez. I'm also planning to
record an album for choir and improvising group with electronics.

You often work in a musical style
that features free improvisation, what do you think your role is as a
composer/band-leader in that context - is it liberating or challenging?

I actually don't know why people think
I'm a free improvisor. I'm not, at least not on record. I've made 40+
albums now of which precisely one is a free improv album. I think of
free improvisation as being a useful starting point for more developed
composed music, and I like the idea of compositions which work on a
fixed outline but leave much of the detail to the improvising skills of
the players. That's pretty much they way all my music has worked since
the 1980s. As far as free improvisation itself goes, it's just another
style to choose from, like blues or hard bop. There's no magic about
it, it's just a tool you can use. But the more freedom you give to your
players, the more liberating it becomes for me as the composer - the
surprises they'll give me then feed back into better compositional ideas.

Do you write with specific musicians in mind?

Always. What they're likely to do
with my material will always be more interesting than anything I might
come up with. I think if you ask someone to play or record, you don't
start then telling them how to play - you just accept what they do, and
then erase it if you don't like it of course!